You Were
by Novative
Summary: When she asked who she used to be, he told her, "You were Sakura." Sakura Haruno was announced dead two weeks after she went missing. Several months later, with the village on the verge of war with the steadily rising Akatsuki group, imagine everyone's surprise when Sakura is seen on the opposing force and unable to remember who her friends are. Will they be able to get her back?
1. Rush

_Run..._

 _Run…_

 _Just run…_

The sound of Sakura's sandals repeatedly slapping against tree trunks echoed around the forest as she leaped forward, each step shaky and desperate. Her chest heaved in rough, uneven pants. The white fog of her breath contrasted with the cold night around her while she hastily used what little chakra she had to scope out her trailing assailants.

"Damn it," she hissed and turned to catch the kunai intended for her neck. In one flick of her wrist, she flipped the weapon in her hand and launched it back with twice as much force and killing intent. The kunai sailed through the trees and made a sickening gush once it connected with its target. A groan was heard followed by a solid thud, causing the corner of Sakura's lips to twitch.

Her feet continued to thrust her deeper into the forest despite her body screaming at her to stop and rest. The grimace touching her face grew deeper at the growing unsteadiness of her legs and the profuse amount of hot sweat dripping down her neck.

Sakura was exhausted. But most of all, she was furious. Absolutely livid. She unrelentingly berated herself for being put in this position in the first place; the words _foolish_ and _what the hell was I thinking?_ swirled around in her head. She mentally retraced her steps, trying to pinpoint where exactly she went wrong and cursed under her breath at the fresh memory of her deciding to leave Suna after a long shift at the hospital.

Konoha was notoriously known for its top-notch medical facility and doctors throughout the nation, all thanks to the Tsunade's expertise and supervision. Since then, many villages have decided to follow suit in improving their hospitals and increasing the number of trained medics, including Konoha's close ally, Suna.

For several months, Suna has slowly been improving their program but recently hit a wall that stopped them from progressing further. They needed someone skilled enough to assist in the training of the medical-nins and oversee the workings of the hospital.

When Tsunade received a scroll from the Kazekage specifically asking for Sakura, she wasn't surprised.

The pink haired, now eighteen years old, kunoichi steadily gained fame after Tsunade agreed to take her as an apprentice. She was uncertain at first, weary of the young girl's lack of vigor and only being capable of some basic techniques, but was proven wrong once she observed her rare gift for chakra control and how fast she learned. The fact that Sakura was also too stubborn to quit may or may not have had a part in how fond Tsunade began to grow of her. Over the years, Tsunade watched her mature physically and mentally. She earned the status of being a respected medical-nin, falling right behind the highly proclaimed Tsunade herself, and rose up the ranks with monstrous power that rivaled her teacher's.

Some would say that without Tsunade, Sakura would have never found strength within her, but she disagrees. The strength that Sakura now possesses was always there. Tsunade was just the shove that pushed her in the right direction.

"Shizune."

The rustling of papers coming from the corner of the office came to a halt and a fair skinned woman turned her attention away from them.

"Yes, Tsunade-sama?" she clasped her hands behind her back.

"Is Sakura back from her mission?"

"I believe her team just returned."

Snapping the scroll shut, Tsunade set the parcel down and eyed the time, "Send her here."

"Yes Tsunade-sama," she answered back, followed by the sound of feet shuffling.

Tsunade glanced down at the papers throw carelessly around her desk and exhaled. She picked one up and looked at it, only to fling it back into the mess it came from. Her hands rubbed at her temples and then pulled at the drawer beside her, the motion a frequent habit. It opened and displayed bare wood.

Shizune had found her hidden hoard and confiscated all of her sake.

Tsunade's face twisted in annoyance, and she roughly pulled out the drawer, making it fly out of the desk and crumble against the wall. A _poof_ and scatter of cherry blossoms pulled her mind out of its irked state, and she brought her head up to the person in front of her.

"You wanted to see me, Shishou?" the girl's head turned to the broken remains of the desk drawer and back at the woman in front of her, unperturbed.

Sakura stood in in the middle of the room, clad in standard ANBU uniform: black pants, a sleeveless turtleneck that exposed the tattoo etched into her arm, a gray flask jacket, and metal guards that strapped onto her forearms. She reached up to pull her cat mask off and let it hang around her neck.

"I have an independent mission for you," Tsunade leaned forward and offered the scroll to her, "from the Kazekage himself. You are to be officially commissioned out there by next week."

She took it and scanned the contents, "Can I leave today?"

Tsunade eyed the girl, raising a thin brow, "You just came back from a mission."

"And now I can start another," she lightly added.

"When have you had free time for yourself outside of being at the hospital and taking on missions?" Tsunade continued, her tone clipped, "none?"

Sakura opened her mouth to speak but was beat to it.

"Is this because of the Uzumaki brat?"

She pushed her lips together in a grim line and looked down at her feet. A few strands fell loose from the elastic holding her hair back and her hands came up to tuck them behind her ears before coming down to grasp each other. She spoke softly, "Shishou, I'm trying to give myself a distraction."

Tsunade felt her expression soften at her pupil's honesty and leaned on her elbows with a sigh. At that moment, she realized how disheartened Sakura looked. The usual bubbly personality the girl exuded was reeled back, the heart she kept on her sleeve covered up and tucked away. The only time Tsunade could remember her eyes lighting up in that bright, emerald gleam was weeks ago.

Each member of Team 7 took the failed mission of retrieving Sasuke hard, and even after two years, they still blamed themselves. When they came to the tower to issue the mission report, Tsunade didn't miss the somber stillness that lingered around them. Kakashi took the role of giving the report while the other three stood in silence. He didn't even try to hide the tiredness in his eyes. Beside him, Naruto would periodically shake his head and tighten his fists, mumbling incoherent words. Sakura's hands couldn't stop touching her neck. And even Sai, whose connection to Sasuke was nowhere near the level of his team members, looked troubled. Team 7 was never the same since then.

The Uchiha, on the other hand, was in better condition. Filled with vengeance and the lust for power, he deflected the village and trained under the wing of the snake sannin. Everyone knew that the boy had grown in strength but also became mentally unstable, the effect of constantly being manipulated and consumed in rage. He would go through everything in his way to avenge his clan, even those who tried to save him from himself. After his run in with Team 7, he disappeared. That was the last anyone had heard of the stoic boy.

Until several weeks ago.

Word quickly spread that Sasuke had killed Orochimaru and finally achieved the power he sought after. That he was now headed toward the location of his brother, Uchiha Itachi, for the concluding battle that would determine if every sacrifice he made was worth it.

Naruto was one of the first to hear this. He knew that the Sasuke he remembered was gone and each effort to bring him back was useless, but maybe, this time, he would be able to get through to him. Maybe this time, after achieving the goal he thirsted after, he would agree to come back. And so, he made the rash decision to go, ultimately leaving Sakura and everyone else behind.

Of course, Tsunade was furious to begin with. No, anger does not even touch how she felt when she learned that the obnoxious brat left without a word. Alone, all in his jinchuriki holding glory, and with an Akatsuki target painted on his back. No, Tsunade wasn't just angry.

She sent several people to track him down and bring him back, only for them to return empty handed. It had been weeks since he had left, and she had yet received any update on his whereabouts. She was growing anxious, finding it hard to just blindly trust that he was capable of protecting himself, but she knew that her apprentice felt much worse.

At the thought of her student, Tsunade looked back at her and caved in, "Fine, but do not make me regret this. If I hear that you faint on the way, I will personally come up there myself."

Sakura smiled at her answer, thanking her teacher and bouncing on her toes, "I'll rest before I leave."

"Bullshit."

Sakura laughed and pocketed the scroll in her pouch, "Is there anything else you needed to speak with me about?"

Tsunade leaned back in her chair and placed her feet on the edge of her desk, arms crossed over her chest, "Yeah kid, get me some alcohol. Shizune found my stash."

With a knowing look, Sakura nodded and walked over to the stacks of papers Shizune was organizing beforehand. She simply lifted a bundle and uncovered multiple bottles of sake behind it. Tsunade grumbled under her breath. Because of how put off she was from the large amount of paperwork in that area, she would've never looked there. Damn that woman.

Sakura placed the bottles on her desk and Tsunade immediately grabbed one.

"I knew there was a reason why I agreed to mentor you," She popped the top off, and with a wave of her hand, she dismissed her.

"See you in two months, Shishou," Sakura replied, smiling, and vanished in an array of cherry blossom petals.

When she opened her eyes, she was standing in her bedroom. Sakura began to undress and strode over to her bathroom while shaking her hair out of the elastic. After a shower and being clothed in her customary red top and medical skirt attire, she got to work and began to place all of her essentials into her pack. With a check of her weapon holster and medical kit, she walked towards the front door and paused when her eyes accidently landed on a frame hanging on her wall.

They wavered at the sight of Team 7's genin photo.

She studied the way Kakashi's eyes sheepishly crinkled as he ruffled the hairs of both quarreling boys beside him, trying to defuse their argument. Naruto stood to her right with his arms crossed and clearly unhappy while Sasuke was on her left with a scowl of his own. Sakura, being the only one who wanted to be there, was grinning.

She sighed and looked back at the blonde haired boy.

The absence of Naruto took an emotional toll on Sakura and it was obvious to those around her. She was angry, yes. Worried, very. But above all, she was hurt. It was as if she was back in her twelve-year-old body, having no other option than to watch from the sidelines because she wasn't capable enough, because she was weak. Did Naruto not see the great leaps and bounds she made over the years to be considered an equal, that she was now strong? Has he forgotten that she was on the same team?

When she learned of his intentions to leave that day, Sakura instantly dropped what she was doing and took off in an effort to catch him, only to find that she was too late. She stood, hands clenching at her sides and lips pursed, staring at the gate while tears pool at her eyes. At that moment, anguish bloomed in her heart and slowly started to spread itself through her body.

Sakura quickly learned that was a feeling she hated and did what she could do to ignore it. She immersed herself with her job at the hospital, took on several missions, and traded in her free time for training sessions. Anything to drown out that pang in her chest. Weeks later, she still found herself angry and upset, but her wish for Naruto's safe return ended up winning out. That sharp stab eventually faded into a dull throb, but she would always hear that small voice in the back of her mind question her.

What about Sasuke?

Did she truly want him to return?

Her eyes glanced over and lingered at the dark haired boy, fingers reaching up to touch her neck. She recalled the way his hand tightly gripped her throat and how empty his eyes were. The horror she felt as she tried to plead with the boy she once loved, lungs burning from the lack of air, and seeing the kunai he clutched come down at her in response.

The Sasuke she encountered that day was a complete stranger, and it frightened her. The old Sasuke was dead and the man that stood in his place made his intentions very clear to Team 7. He wanted nothing to do with them. But even years later, no matter how hard she tried to, she couldn't bring herself to give up on him. Was it that silly feeling her twelve-year-old self believed to be love that caused her to hold on? No, that infatuation died alongside him a long time ago. It was pity. Pity for his suffering to eventually end and that Team 7 will be able to receive the closure it needed.

Mentally crumpling her thoughts into a ball and shoving in the back of her head, Sakura turned away from the picture and slung her pack over her shoulder. The door closed with a _click_ and she stepped out from her house.

As she dashed across the rooftops, she made a quick detour and stopped at the Yamanaka Flower Shop. She walked in, unable to find Ino, who was probably at the interrogation headquarter with her father, and left a message for her mother to pass onto her when she returned.

Sakura knew that Kakashi was away on an ANBU mission of his own and moved her feet to Sai's apartment. Catching him leaving just in time, Sakura waved and ran up to him. He waved back and approached her.

"Sai!"

"Ugly."

Sakura felt a vein pulsate on her temple and suppressed the urge to send him flying with her fist. She stopped in front of the pale gentleman and decided to jab a finger in his shoulder instead, smirking at how he winced from her touch. "I wanted to let you know that I'm leaving for Suna."

He shifted his weight, "A mission?"

"Yeah, some hospital stuff," she affirmed, "I'll be gone for two months."

"I see," the pale boy paused, "so this is goodbye."

"You don't have to make it sound so morbid."

"But partings are usually sad, are they not?" he scrunched his face up in thought.

Sakura only laughed in response and held her arms out to envelope him in a swift hug. Feeling his gentle taps in response, she said a light-hearted _see you soon_ and drew back. He smiled at her and then parted ways.

She took her time on the way to the gates, acknowledging each person that stopped to speak with her and soaked in as much of the town she could. With one last glance at Konoha and a heave of her pack, Sakura set off in the direction of Suna.

From the time Sakura had left Konoha and approached the sand village's towering gates, it was well into the night. Her footsteps scraped against the sandy ground as she neared, causing the guard flanking the entrance to straighten at her arrival.

"Welcome to Sunagakure, Haruno-san," the middle-aged ninja greeted with a tilt of his head.

Sakura nodded in return and watched him gesture towards the opening gates before walking ahead. Lamp posts leaned over the sandstone floor, emitting a soft glow in the streets, and the faint whistling of wind could be heard as it wrapped around each building. She continued forward and couldn't stop the grin that crept onto her face when she saw a figure emerge from the shadows.

"We weren't expecting you until some time later."

Sakura rose a brow and stopped, "What?" she placed a hand over her heart with feigned hurt. "Are you not happy to see me?"

Temari dramatically rolled her eyes and waved a hand to signal Sakura to follow, the large fan on her back shifting with each step she took. With a smirk, the blonde glanced over her shoulder. "Was it that noticeable?"

Sakura snorted and quickened her pace to stroll alongside her. The two took the chance to catch up, mostly sticking to small talk and updating each other on their lives, until they reached an apartment where Sakura presumed she would be staying. Temari handed her the key after jamming it into the doorknob and twisting it open, revealing a furnished living room.

"Oh!" Sakura set her pack down, "this is a really nice place."

"Thanks," Temari shrugged, "it was my old place before I moved out." She stepped in and began to show her around the home. "The bed's a little uneven so if it's uncomfortable for you later on just let me know."

Sakura shot her a sly grin and nudged her arm, "Is that where you and Shikamaru ha—"

"Not you too," she interrupted, sighing out loud. She turned her head away when Sakura eyed the pink flush tinting her face. "I already have Ino on my back about this."

"So, how was it?"

"I'm leaving," She quickly spun on her heels and headed towards the door. "Have fun settling in. Tomorrow's going to be a long day."

Sakura waved a farewell at the retreating figure and felt her shoulder's slump in exhaustion once the door shut. She leaned down and took a seat with her back against the wall, propping her arms on her knees and placing her head in her hands. Did she have to come immediately? No, but Sakura knew that it was for the best, for Suna and herself. Mostly herself, as selfish as that sounded.

She needed a distraction, something that would make herself not think of Naruto when she walked past Ichiraku or notice his absence when she trained with Sai and Kakashi. Konoha itself constantly reminded Sakura of the hyperactive boy, and when the opportunity to temporarily leave arose, she jumped at it.

She just hoped she made a good choice.

Taking a minute to rub her eyes, she picked herself up and made her way to the bedroom. The bed groaned under the weight of her body and her muscles instantly relaxed at the contact of soft cotton. Fatigue washed over her, causing her eyelids to droop, but before she could drift off, her mind wandered back to the picture of Team 7 hanging on her wall.

The following weeks, Sakura found that she really didn't have a life outside the hospital, partly because her lifestyle was so engrossed in it. Being the only familiar faces in the village, she primarily associated with the sand siblings. A conversation or two when she ran into Kankuro, occasional updates to Gaara, but mainly lunch outings with Temari, although that itself was rare due to her habit of working extra hours and in a severe need for sleep due to chakra depletion.

Suna's hospital was basic at best, being sufficient enough to issue a standard medical procedure yet unable to administer anything beyond that. Sakura was relieved to find that each student possessed an adequate amount of chakra control that would be of some use to the hospital, making her job a touch easier, and spent countless hours going over a variety of methods. After numerous amounts of demonstrations and actually letting the trainees assist in her surgeries, Sakura saw the hospital improve even further, especially with the generous grant received. Week after week, she watched the program flourish under her and come to the point where it was able to successfully run without her guidance. Two months went by just like that.

On the last day, Sakura unsurprisingly spent her day off from the hospital at the hospital. The residents were unaffected by her presence stepping into the facility and continued their work. Some took the time to say hello as they passed, already accustomed to her workaholic tendencies. A clipboard was handed to her just when she approached the reception desk and her calloused fingers flipped through the charts before she turned to the nurse sitting there.

"Get room eight prepped for surgery," she handed the clipboard back and started to tie her shoulder length locks away from her face, "I'll be there in fifteen minutes."

The girl nodded but hesitantly opened her mouth, "Sakura-sama, would it not be wise to take this day to rest?"

She eyed her with a smile touching her lips and leaned on the desk, chin propped in her hand, "Rest for what?"

"Are you not leaving for Konoha tonight?"

Though Suna had become like a second home, Sakura couldn't kill the feeling of homesickness in her. The mental image of being back in her own bed, her own hospital, surrounded by her precious people caused her to become restless. Konoha will always be where she belonged and she was very ready to return. The pink haired woman hummed a yes, having a feeling where this conversation was going.

"If you overwork yourself today, you would be in no condition to travel tonight."

"Who says that I'm going to overwork myself today?" She laughed but was touched at the nurse's concern.

"No one, sensei, but usually—"

"Relax," Sakura reached over to give her hand a reassuring pat, cutting her off, "I was planning on taking it easy today so there's no need to worry. I appreciate the concern though, Yori-chan." With a final smile and pat of her hand, Sakura turned around and headed off to surgery.

Thirteen hours later, it was clear to everyone that Sakura was not taking it easy. Many students thought to persuade the medic to take off early, but the idea of testing the woman's ill temper caused them to quickly reconsider. Nine surgeries including an extremely strenuous complication later, Sakura bid every person a last goodbye and trudged out of the hospital. The few civilians who lingered around the streets rushed by her to get home before it got too dark.

"You look like hell."

She huffed and looked over at Temari, walking over to her friend, "I feel even worse."

The sand ninja peeked at her drained form, pondering for a moment, "Maybe you should wait until tomorrow to leave. It would take twice as long for you to get there in this state anyway."

Sakura ran a hand through her hair and sighed. She thought it over. "Yeah, okay," her shoulders slumped, the exhaustion rolling off of her in waves, "I just have to drop off some papers to your brother first, then I'll get some shut eye."

"I'll walk with you just in case you decide to get all dramatic and faint again."

"That was once!" she cried out, throwing her hands in the air.

Temari snickered at her outburst and continued to tease her. "Man, I would be _so_ embarrassed if I were you. You landed face first into that soup."

She rolled her eyes at the memory, trying hard not to laugh with her. It was a long day, and she insisted on having lunch with Temari after pulling a double shift at the hospital. She lasted exactly twenty minutes, just enough time to order and get her food, before blacking out and taking a nosedive into the bowl. Giving in, she giggled at herself, "I swear I can still smell the broth in my hair."

The two women continued to chat while on the way to the Kazekage. Reaching the tower, Sakura knocked on his office door and strode in with a bow of her head. Temari followed and took a spot behind her, leaning on the wall with her arms crossed.

Suna no Gaara sat enrobed in his traditional robe and headdress. Papers cluttered his desk but were considerably tidy and under control compared to Tsunade's. At the sound of their arrival, the pen he held froze and stopped writing. Placing the writing utensil down, he greeted them and straightened from his hunched form.

"You have the final documents, I presume?" he directed his gaze to the folder in her hands. She nodded, passing it and watching him promptly scan through each page.

After several minutes, he snapped the folder close and looked up to her with his black rimmed eyes, "Impeccable work, Sakura-san. Suna is in debt to you."

She smiled at him and bowed once again, "Thank you, Kazekage-sama."

"Are you still planning to leave tonight?" he eyed her tired body, noticing the dark circles under her eyes.

Feeling his stare, she looked down and rubbed her arm, "Actually, I've decided to stay until tomorrow since I'm—"

A rap on the door was heard and a man dressed in a black body suit with purple markings adorning his face walked in. Kankuro apologetically cleared his throat at his interruption, "Sorry, but I have a message for Sakura."

At the mention of her name, the pinkette's head snapped up and focused on the scroll in his hand, "Me?"

"Yeah," he affirmed, handing it to her, "something about it being urgent."

 _Probably the hospital_ , she thought.

The sand siblings watched her hands unroll the parchment, all curious of the information held inside. Sakura looked down at the paper in her hand and felt her jaw drop in shock. She began to tremble, heart plummeting to her stomach. Tears started to build up around her eyes, blurring her vision, and she didn't dare breathe for fear of making them fall. The drowsiness in her muscles suddenly left as she continued to read the words in front of her, over and over and over again.

 _Just updated, Naruto is safe and heading back with Sasuke. -Tsunade_

"They're coming home," she gasped, tightly gripping the edges of the scroll. A wave of relief washed over her and drenched her to the very core. Her mouth was stretched into a wide grin that sent her face on the verge of splitting in two.

 _Naruto was okay and on the way home. He was okay and Sasuke…_

 _Sasuke was coming home._

"Naruto's coming home?" Temari questioned her from the back of the room.

"They…" Kankuro murmured, his hand reaching up to stroke his chin. It paused once his eyes widened in realization. "You're telling me that idiot really brought him back?"

"I have to go," Sakura peeked back at Gaara who silently sat in his chair watching her, "I need to see them."

"Hold on," Temari stepped in and placed a hand on her shoulder, "You can't go out there like this. Your chakra levels are low and you can barely stand on your feet. Wait until tomorrow, you need the rest."

"No," she refused and stepped out from her hand, "I need to leave now if I want to make it on time."

"At least let one of us go with you," Kankuro suggested.

Sakura shook her head, "I would be faster if I went alone." She looked at the two frustrated siblings who clearly knew her mind couldn't be changed, "I'll even mask my chakra so I won't run into trouble. Trust me I'll be fine."

"Gaara?" Temari called out to him, asking for his input. The red headed man looked at his sister, locking eyes with her. He then turned his attention to Sakura with his lips pursed and eyes narrowed. Silence filled the office.

"I'll allow it."

"Gaara!" Temari snapped, throwing a heated look at her brother. Kankuro only shook his head in response.

Gaara met his sister's glare with calm eyes, "Either way, she would still leave. We cannot keep her here against her will."

Temari said nothing and decided to take a spot beside Kankuro, both visibly unhappy with his decision. Sakura opened her mouth to thank him only to be cut off.

"I will send a message to inform Tsunade-sama," he plucked a clean scroll from the ones scattered on his desk.

"Thank you so much," With a final bow and a swift hug to the brooding siblings in the corner, Sakura headed towards the door.

"Sakura-san."

She paused, turning to look back at Gaara, "Yes?"

"Do not over exert yourself."

A full moon gleamed in the pitch black sky, casting shadows across the foliage. Using the leaves as cover, she moved nimbly through the trees and tried to gain as much ground as she could. Occasionally a cricket or two could be heard over the wind whipping at her hair. It didn't take much to mask her already low chakra levels and with her silent movements, she was practically invisible. Once reaching the halfway point, Sakura stopped and decided to give her body a chance to rest.

Jumping down from the tree, she took a spot on the coarse ground and leaned back, closing her eyes and basking in the moonlight. She sat there for a couple minutes taking in the slight ruffling of the leaves and the cool breeze on her skin. A layer of peace coated her state of mind and she eased out a relaxed breath.

That layer was ripped off when the distinct crunch of a leaf was heard.

Sakura's muscles froze on instinct, but she kept her eyes closed. The chakra within her hummed to life and stretched out to find any signatures around. Another footstep was audible, barely heard thanks to her trained ear. Her hand slowly began to reach for her weapon holster, the tips of her finger only able to graze the hilt of a kunai, just as a body burst from the shrubs and shot toward her.

She rolled out from his attack and leaped up to deliver a spinning roundhouse kick. The assaulter ducked and lashed out at her with a kunai. He sliced the air around her in messy X's and grew impatient with his blade meeting empty space. His body parried left, impelling Sakura to shift to the opposite side, but he deceivingly slashed to the right and was effective enough to cut her forehead protector.

The headband slid off of Sakura's head and dropped to the ground.

The man proceeded to charge at her with another onset. Dodging the strike, her body arched and flipped back to place several feet between them. Her arms came up to form her usual fighting stance while her mind raced to form a strategy. She braced herself for him to instigate another attack and frowned when he instead leaned against a tree, twirling the weapon in his hand.

"The Godaime's apprentice," his shoulders shook with a chuckle and wicked grin, eyeing her then rubbing his finger along the edge of the kunai, "looks like we got lucky tonight."

 _We?_

Two other figures emerged beside him and Sakura cursed under her breath. All three wore dark clothing, nearly blending in with the shadows around them, and showed no sign of possessing a hitai-ate.

"Bounty hunters," Sakura gritted her teeth and tightened her fist, feeling her temper rise. The female on his right reached back to unsheathe her katana. Sakura squinted at the bright gleam of moonlight that reflected off the blade and frowned.

"We'd get twice as much with her head on a stake," the dark haired woman mused and tapped the tip of her sword into the dirt.

"How long do you think she'll last?" the other one spoke, looking at his two associates.

The spinning of the kunai stopped and the middle one smirked, "Not long." And with that, two took off and left her with the woman.

Before she had the chance to dash after one, the female lurched at Sakura, forcing her to block the katana with a kunai. Not wasting a second, Sakura twisted out of the way and crouched down to swipe at her feet. The woman flipped back and spun to land a retaliating kick to Sakura's head.

She easily caught the foot with a hand and threw her at one of the hunters watching from the trees. The spectator jumped away a second before the body crashed into the timber, causing the forest to resonate with the splitting crack of wood. Gathering chakra in her hand, she reared back and slammed her fist into another tree. It was obliterated on contact and a different figure, the original attacker, leaped from it and into the air. Numbers of kunai and shurikens sailed straight at her to which she reflected with her own and then launched back. It managed to cut his check as he dodged and buried itself into a bark.

He landed in front of her and wiped at the blood. Sakura watched him try to launch himself at her but stumble and fall. He placed a hand on his cheek, snarling at her, "What the fuck did you do?"

"Poison," she retorted, noticing how each of his movements were unsteady, "it gives off the effect of the muscles being burned, making it difficult to move." The sight of him clutching his chest in pain made her smile in satisfaction. Running forward to his hunched over form, she leaped up and focusing chakra into her leg. She forced it down over his head, shattering every bone in his body and instantly killing him. The floor under him caved and crumbled due to the amount of sheer power in her attack. His crushed body laid sprawled on the broken ground.

She flipped back, narrowingly missing the sword thrown at her. The dark haired woman reappeared and followed suit with a series of punches and kicks. Sakura blocked each hit with her arms but was thrown back when a kick landed at her ribs. She skidded across the ground and tried to roll onto her feet, however, the woman dashed over and used her body to hold her down. Drawing her fist back, she swung at Sakura's face. The metallic taste of blood seeped into her mouth as she took each hit, blow after blow. She grunted in pain and tried to free her hands to no avail.

Another punch smashed into her jaw and made her vision temporarily go black. Using the only freed body parts, Sakura lifted her legs and wrapped them around the woman's neck. The hands ceased punching and tried to loosen the grip around their owner's neck. Sakura's hold on her tightened, despite the painful clawing at her legs, just enough to get her to gasp for air and roll off.

The woman slumped to the ground in dry coughs, holding her throat and wheezing. Taking a page out of her book, Sakura grabbed and flipped her onto her back, straddling her down. She heaved in heavy pants and knew she was running dangerously low on her dwindling chakra. A soft green glow emitted from the fist hovering above her head, planning to crush the girl's skull in. But before she could give the final blow, she felt the sharp edges of a blade slice through her side.

Sakura screamed in pain at her flesh tearing and pulled the katana out, allowing blood to seep from the deep wound. She did what little she could do to stop the bleeding until the woman underneath her was able to free her arm and fist a handful of pink hair. She pulled Sakura off and backhanded her. The weapon fell out of her hand and was kicked away by the third assaulter. Unlike the woman, who was now stumbling to her feet, and Sakura, who had trouble keeping her eyes open, he stood unscathed.

"You know," he sighed, kicking his feet and placing his hands on his hips, "I thought you would've been more impressive."

Sakura's rage rose and her mouth let out a vicious growl. She flashed stepped next to him, bringing her fist down but made contact with the ground instead. The forest floor shook from the impact, causing trees to fall over and chunks of the earth to be heaved up and flung around. The man that once stood there dissipated with a puff of smoke and appeared behind her. His hand shot out to seize her neck and shove her onto the ground. She wailed out in pain and clutched her throbbing head. He pried her hands away to harshly kicked at her side. Her ribs buckled under and a groan escaped her mouth. Sakura couldn't move her body regardless of how much she tried. Every fiber of her being screeched out in agony with each shift, begging for it to stop. She failed to even notice the presence of the other woman until she drove the tip of the katana into Sakura's stomach.

She swore that her screams could have been heard in Suna.

Tears flowed from her eyes and ran down her bruised face. The woman licked her lips at Sakura's thrashing body and began to drag the sword upward. Sakura's screams grew louder and she willed her hands to stop the blade from moving any further, not caring that the edge was cutting through her palms. Her brows furrowed in concentration and with another cry, she ripped the blade out from her body and impaled it into the woman's thigh. The woman toppled back and fell onto the male, who huffed in annoyance and steadied her. Sakura, wincing in pain, got up and did the only thing she could do.

She ran.

She took off to the trees, clearly aware of the two signatures trailing close behind, and used the very last of her chakra to stop herself from bleeding out. The green glow of her hands slowly dimmed before completely fading, leaving her damaged body at the mercy of herself and the hunters. Her pink bangs stuck to her forehead in a bloody, matted mess. Her legs shook with each push off a branch, forcing her to move fast, faster. And darkness started to encroach her vision.

She felt the hairs on the back of her neck stand, and she whirled around to catch the kunai intended for the same spot. A shout ripped its way out of her throat as she launched the weapon back. A solid thud rang out.

One chakra signature remained.

Sakura continued to dash forward, chest rising and falling in fast tired pants. She didn't know how much longer her body would be able to hold out and prayed that it would be just enough. Unfortunately, she wasn't one for religion.

Her legs gave out and sent her plunging to the ground. She tried, failing miserably, to lessen her fall by landing on her feet. Instead, she landed in a broken heap on her side. How was she able to pull herself up? She had no idea but was grateful that she miraculously did. The chakra signature grew closer with each second and soon the dark clothed man jumped down in front of her. He smoothly strode over and grabbed her chin, forcing her gaze to him.

"Pathetic."

She snapped.

Her hands snatched the arm touching her face, and with a swift rise of her knee, she broke it into two. She didn't have time to relish in his pained grunt before he swung his other one. She ducked, and with one last ditch effort, pulled out a kunai with an explosive tag attached. With all her strength, she brought the weapon down and plunged it into his chest.

"Go to hell," she seethed, twisting and digging it deeper in him. With a punch to the face, he collapsed by her feet. Sakura knew she only had mere seconds before her and anything within a ten-mile radius was reduced to ashes. She turned to sprint away but a hand wrapped around her ankle prevented her to from doing so.

"I'll see you there."

Sakura's eyes widen in dread at her feet being pulled under her and her body hitting the ground. She cried out and kicked his hand off, scrambling to her feet in a frantic manner. The tag went off after she made it two steps away.

A deafening explosion boomed, sending a shockwave that swept through its surroundings. Pieces of debris and trees were unearthed and rained down on Sakura's exposed skin, stinging it. Her eyes automatically sealed themselves shut from the blinding light that engulfed her figure. Then, she felt the heat. The smothering scorch that worked its way into her lungs, incinerating her from the inside out. She somehow realized that she was screaming again.

Her body was hurled aside, the blast causing her head to collide with a something sharp and hard. The ringing in her ears almost drowned out the roaring flames that enveloped the scant patches of green around her. Breathing became more than difficult for Sakura to maintain and her vision was slowly failing her.

The rate of her heart began to decrease, each beat like a weak pound in her chest. She didn't know how long she laid there listening to the slow decline of her pulse, but it provided some sense of calmness to reach her. Her glassy eyes looked up at the black sky above her and with a shallow breath, she let out a jaded laugh.

Sai was right. Goodbyes are always sad.

She let herself cry, feeling the tears stream down and burn her raw cheeks. With words jumbled on the tip of her tongue, Sakura said a final parting to the stars and let her eyes flutter shut.

Then, it started to rain.


	2. Overwhelmed

When she opened her eyes, the first thing she noticed was that it was raining.

Dark massive, angry clouds covered the moon and grumbled in its wake. Several flashes of light appeared and streaked across the sky, splitting it in an assortment of fragments. A crack resonated from the lightning and reached down to strike the ground. Booming from the blow, the earth quivered and shook the floor her body rested on.

Hot pellets of water relentlessly poured from the clouds and drenched all that it touched. The air whipped violently at the trees around her, making them groan as they swayed, and forced the barrage of rain to come down even harder. Her half lidded eyes looked away from the sky and sluggishly roamed its surroundings.

 _Where was she?_

The ground under her was broken, and any remnants of greenery in the vicinity were blackened and burnt to a crisp. A few distance away she could make out the charred portions of trees that exposed a gaping hole in the forest, leading her to believe it was from an explosion of some sort, but she was unable to remember what exactly happened.

The second thing she noticed was the sharp throb that pierced her skull.

Her arm shook as she strained to reach up and touch her temple, her mouth letting out a weak hiss from the contact. She brought her hand in front of her face and regarded the thick layer of blood that coated her fingers. Her hand went back to the wound and sensed more blood continuing to seep out, mixing with the rain that fell onto her face. Teeth gritted together, she pushed her torso up, digging her elbows into the wet dirt for support, and gasped at the sight of her damaged figure.

 _What happened to her?_

Unable to take the exertion she was putting it through, her arms gave out from under her and she collapsed back into the position she was once in. She closed her eyes and tried to assess the extent of her injuries. Her cold body shivered from the harsh storm taking place above her. She attempted to bring forth chakra to heal herself, but when the small glow of green appeared for just a second before dimming from her hands, knew that she had exhausted her reserves. She barely had enough to stay conscious, much less perform medical ninjutsu. Though if she didn't do something soon, she knew she would end up dying from blood loss.

Another bolt of lightning flickered in the clouds, momentarily providing some sort of light for her to see clearly, followed by a roar of thunder. She waited a brief period before deciding to push herself up again, this time trying to stand. Eyebrows furrowed in concentration, she turned on her side and braced both palms against the soggy floor. A cry escaped her lips as she lifted her upper body and used her knees to stabilize herself. The rain continued to fall and soak through the clothes she wore, adding additional weight she could scarcely hold up.

A deep huff of air was sucked into her ragged lungs and her eyes snapped shut. She propelled her form upward, ignoring the pain that rippled through her body, and stumbled to her feet. Her knees threatened to buckle beneath her, but she willed them to stiffen. The world around her blurred for a minute when she reopened her eyes, and she could feel herself grow faint but was able to stay standing. Chest heaving to regain her breath, she leaned heavily on one side.

She applied pressure to the gashes on her body to repress the amount of blood she was losing, disregarding the way her shoulder screamed in protest, and took a step forward. She whimpered out loud but kept walking. Her feet splashed in the small puddles that littered the forest floor and a deafening clap of thunder was heard once again. The ache she felt crushing her brain earlier was replaced with an immense pressure building in the middle of her forehead and resulted in her steps to falter.

She spotted a broad tree that would act as shelter and trudged toward it. Her arm reached out to steady herself while she maneuvered to rest against the trunk. Wet strands of tangled hair stuck to her cheeks when another sporadic blast of wind occurred.

 _How did she end up here?_

The bleeding persisted to flow from her wounds despite the pressure she place on them, and the large portion of blood she had lost was starting to affect her. Numbness began to gradually work its way up her legs, her vision blurred into a dizzy, unfocused haze, and breathing was now a conscious act to perform if she wanted to stay alive.

On top of it all, her skull felt as if it was being torn apart, successfully drawing her attention from her more critical injuries. She slumped against the bark and shoved her wet bangs away to clutch her pounding temples. The pain that traveled throughout her body was insignificant compared to what her head was going through now. It angrily pulsated in a whirl of torment and distress, demanding to be heard, and confusion was laced in each thud.

Since she woke up, she tried to make sense of everything. She was lost. She was hurt. But most of all, she couldn't recall how she was placed in this predicament. How did she get herself in this position to begin with?

Question after question assaulted her. Where was she? What happened to her? What was she doing? What's going on?

Her subconscious would reach back to grasp any sort of evidence that would help but came up short each time, leaving her puzzled and matters worse. She tried over and over again until an unsettling feeling appeared, looming over and seizing her like a predator would to its prey. It forced its way inside, settling in the pit of her stomach, and made every tremble in her muscles to freeze. Her eyes widen in horror and panic clawed itself way up her throat. She finally realized.

She couldn't remember.

She couldn't remember _anything_.

Without warning, she doubled over and heaved, letting her stomach lurch and expel a combination of bile and blood. Black spots danced across her vision and more red liquid was coughed up. The degree of her injuries was becoming overwhelming, and because she could not lessen the strain it placed, her body was shutting down.

She tore herself away from the tree and into the current of rain that persisted to descend, seeming more brutal than before. Her numb legs dragged as she staggered forward and wandered aimlessly in the dark, having only occasional glimpses of lightning to see. She didn't know where to go, and she didn't know how much time she had left or if every effort she made was in vain. She didn't know, didn't know, **didn't know**.

With each second that passed, the more she grew frantic. Her hands grabbed at her locks, fisting the saturated, entangled hair there and pulling hard. Did she know anything? Did she even know who she was?

Above her, thunder crashed and she froze.

In a merge of stress and pain, tears abruptly streamed from her downturned face, mingling with the rain, and dripped off her chin. Her arms dropped to her side and loosely hung there, letting the question echo in her head.

 _Who was she?_

She started hyperventilating, sobs wracking her chest, and collapsed onto her knees. Holding her aching head, she desperately searched for an answer, forcing herself to remember. Everything. Anything. Something.

She just needed something.

 _Sa—_

The blood refused to stop pouring through her fingers, and she knew she was losing too much. Her view became shaky and so distorted to the point where it only left a sliver for her to see. She forced herself to fight her drooping lids while coldness traveled through and stunned every nerve in her body, causing each motion to be slow and heavy even if it was only a twitch of her finger.

— _kura_

Then suddenly, a breath was hitched in her throat, and her eyes snapped open, fully alert. Her tears ceased falling, and it dawned on her. The raindrops that fell from the sky halted, and her cracked lips parted to speak against the wind but failed to make a sound.

She touched her throat and shuddered as she exhaled, pausing for a minute. Her mouth opened once more, and her frail voice was heard, just merely a whisper.

"Sakura."

Suddenly, searing pain erupted in the middle of her forehead, and Sakura's hoarse voice screamed aloud. The discomfort that was there began to build to the point where it was now unbearable to handle and flared through her failing body, temporarily shocking her nerves. Both arms wrapped themselves around her midsection while Sakura tightly shut her eyes and groaned. Her skull throbbed from the pressure that continued to increase, and increase, and increase.

Until something clicked inside of her.

Without thinking, her shaking hand reached up to place two fingers on her forehead, and she unconsciously spoke, "Release."

A wave of energy pulsated from Sakura and into the air, prompting the surrounding trees to bristle from the added gust and rain droplets to reflect from her. The tips of her fingers felt the outline of a diamond shaped marking being etched into her mid-forehead, and the tension that was there dulled to a slight ache before completely disappearing. She instinctively leveled her hands with her chest and grasped them together. With each finger specifically tucked and straightened to form a seal, her lips moved on their own accord, "Sōzō Saisei."

On command, the yin seal on her head began to glow and transform, diverging and wrapping around her body in an intricate pattern. Ripples of pain emerged and a hiss was emitted as her cells forcibly divided at a rapid pace, healing the wounds decorating her. Sensation was slowly reworked into her limbs, making Sakura bite her lip at the sharp sting of bones mending and skin being knit together.

A steady burn sprung from the center of her lungs and bloomed outward to the tips of her fingers. She roughly dug her nails into her palms and grunted, attempting to tolerate her discomfort. The strain placed on her intensified for a moment before dissipating and leaving her panting on the ground. Sakura let her hands roam her body, finding smooth flesh, fully healed gashes, and the threat of bleeding out gone. Her eyes turned upward at the night sky, welcoming the cool drops of rain washing her sweat slicked figure.

The seal wrapped around her unraveled itself and retracted to reform the diamond marking on her forehead, glowing an iridescent shade of purple until dimming. Sakura slumped in exhaustion and blinked several times. Her once mangled body was returned to its original state but convulsed in waves of fatigue. She felt lightheaded but pushed herself to stand, seeking refuge from the storm that refused to let up.

The view around her became disorientated, and her footsteps grew heavier with each step forward. Sakura eventually stopped to catch her breath and leaned on a nearby tree. She tightly clutched onto the bark when a strong burst of wind surged past her, almost knocking her unsteady frame over. Taking in another deep breath, she turned away from the tree and stilled.

"Kunoichi."

Sakura's chest heaved, swiftly rising and falling, and her heart began beating in alarm. Her eyes squinted at the dark silhouette, making her doubled vision merge the figure into one, before straightening her hunched body.

A flash of lightning illuminated the individual's shark-like appearance, showcasing the gills on his pale blue skin and his small, white eyes. She took in the black cloak adorned with red clouds he wore and eyed the large, bandaged sword on his back.

"Who," she took a step away, "are you?" Sakura breathed out.

The nukenin took a step in her direction, "You have forgotten?"

Sakura hesitated in revealing her state, unsure if it was wise of her to do so, but the desperate hope that the stranger would have mercy on her won out. She opened her mouth and truthfully replied, letting words spew out, "I can't remember what happened, and I don't know how I got here," she paused to fight the nausea pooling at her throat and carefully looked over at the tall figure, "I can't remember anything… I can't..." She felt her chest tighten from her words.

"How unfortunate, " the shadow of the night hid the grin showing off his sharp, white teeth, and he drawled out his words, "are you in need of help?"

Sakura visibly relaxed at the statement and let relief crashed over her. An ally! An actual person who could be a chance for help. She tried to speak again, but her knees began to shake, and she turned to cling onto the tree to keep from collapsing. He studied the girl, noticing the way she struggled to hold herself up, and questioned her, "Are you injured?"

"No," she weakly shook her head, "but my chakra is completely depleted from healing myself. My body won't be able to handle the strain I'm placing on it for much longer."

"Is that so?" he let eyes traveled to her tired face and rested on the diamond seal upon her forehead, "you cannot recall anything, yet you remember how to use medical-ninjutsu."

"I don't know why," she failed to notice the eager tone laced in his voice, "but yes."

"I see. Is that all?"

"My name too," she softly spoke, "that and my name."

The nukenin mulled at the information and looked at her with newfound curiosity, taking several more steps forward with a gleam in his eyes.

Sakura's vision began spinning while the sound of rain falling and her hand stifling her hoarse coughs filled the air. "Is there shelter nearby?" she paled and shut her eyes, "I need to rest or I will lose consciousness."

He almost laughed at how, in some twisted situation, she was asking him for help. Walking toward her weak state, he reached out with an eager hand, "Here, let me see what I can do about that."

His soggy footsteps were heard approaching her, and Sakura opened her eyes at his close proximity. All at once, she was roughly pulled forward and into the rain. Sakura could only watch as a broad hand reached out to strike the back of her neck, earning a gasp from the blow. Her body went limp, and Sakura's eyesight went black as her legs lost function. Another arm shot out to catch her falling form before she could collapse onto the ground.

Calmly throwing her comatose body over his shoulder, Kisame Hoshigaki chuckled, "Can't get easier than that."

And with another strike of lightning, he was gone.

* * *

"Oi teme, look, the sky is crying."

Sasuke scoffed at Naruto's childish remark but glanced up anyway. He tilted his head and stared at the clouds that were beginning to gather in the night sky above them. The tree he leaned against bristled from the gentle gust of wind passing and he felt the tiny splatter of a raindrop hit his cheek. His hand reached up to swipe it away.

"I wonder what everyone's doing right now."

He looked over and decided to stay quiet.

Naruto laid on the forest floor with his hands placed behind his head and a leg propped up, the other one crossed on top. He rubbed at his eyes and let out a loud yawn, smacking his lips afterward.

A thoughtful look appeared, "Kakashi's probably reading that pervy book of his, Sai's being his creepy self, as usual, I mean, when is he not?" he grinned to himself, picturing the image in his mind, "and Sakura-chan, no doubt, is overworking herself at the hospital."

He continued to talk, steering the one-sided conversation over to how he couldn't wait to get back home to eat at Ichiraku, and waved his hands around to add emphasis. His head bobbed around as he spoke, causing the Konoha hitai-ate he had on to proudly gleam in the moonlight.

Sasuke ignored the blonde's voice and focused on the headband tied around his forehead instead, squinting when the reflection flickered at him. A heavy feeling settled in the pit of his stomach, and he instantly fixed his eyes elsewhere.

Small hints of Naruto's conversation worked its way to Sasuke's ear and brought out faint memories he constantly pushed to the deepest corner of his mind, hoping they would disappear. But despite the years worth of persistence to suppress them, they refused to fade. Each memory he had of Team 7, of Konoha, were clear and detailed as the day he experienced them.

Times like these, where he was left in the quietness of his own conscience, would be the times those images decided to recur and remind him of his past life. The life he chose not to live, haunting him with the thought of what if?

"Tch," He scowled in irritation and forcefully shoved the idea away.

It was pointless. If given the chance to go back and choose again, he would choose the same fate without hesitation. He lived for solely one reason, and until he could avenge his clan, Sasuke would gladly go through every obstacle in his way to do so. The thought consumed him. It became the air he breathed, the world he saw, and the purpose of his life.

That is, until a month ago.

He looked down at his hands, recalling how they were stained with blood and trembling. The body of his brother laid at his feet, dead, and Sasuke stood above.

The battle lasted for hours, but his pent-up rage fueled him. Blow after blow was exchanged between the two survivors of the Uchiha clan before only one stood. His chest rose to regain his breath, and his body was heavily pressed against the stone wall for support as he watched Itachi collapse into a bloodied, broken heap before him.

His clan was avenged, and he was victorious.

Sasuke yearned for this very moment since he was a child, imagining the minute where his anguish ceased and peace took its place. But when his dream became a reality, when he finally achieved his goal of killing the murder of his clan, the owner of his torment, none of what he hoped to happen afterward occurred.

The weight he shouldered did not disappear. Though all the anger and hatred he held was gone, he was left empty. Peace never came. There was no joy or relief in what he had done or validation of if every sacrifice and decision he made was the right one. Instead, the weight he carried grew heavier as he stared down at his brother.

Unable to stomach Itachi's lifeless eyes peering up at him, he ran.

He found an abandoned shack away from civilization and holed himself inside. Weeks passed while he was left with himself for company, and for the first time in years, Sasuke let his guard down. The emotions he held back resurfaced and rioted within.

Images of his genin team emerged. Naruto's rambling of never giving up on him and Sakura's annoying habit of confessing her love echoed in his head, stirring a strange feeling inside. He remembered the last time Team 7 was reunited, and a bitter taste settled in his mouth at the memory.

Sasuke was too far into madness to hear Kakashi's voice of reason. At the sight of his old teammates, he convinced himself that they held no significance to him. They were merely strangers who stood in his path. Hearing their cries for him to stop and return home did nothing but anger him. They meddled in issues that did not concern them, and he did what he saw fit.

His forehead wrinkled in frustration, and he fisted his hair. Flashbacks of how he wished to bring death on Naruto and the way he reveled at the sight of Sakura gasping for air, trying to pry his hand from her throat, reminded him of when he felt nothing. But now, he felt everything.

Sitting in the cabin, he was shameful of himself.

Sasuke let guilt eat at him as he replayed each moment in his mind, over analyzing each detail, each bond broken. He thought of the way he thirsted after his brother, itching for his blood to be spilled, and how he felt after the deed was done. Killing Itachi had unsettled him, bringing out emotions he did not wish to feel.

Was it regret?

He didn't know. In fact, he did not wish to know. He had accepted his past and came to terms with the man he chose to be. The man he forced himself to become. The only way to avenge his clan was to kill his brother, to cut off those who held him back. It was his purpose, the reason for every action. It's what he was meant to be. Sasuke was so sure, so certain. But now, why did he feel like this after achieving the goal he long set out for?

"Sasuke."

Revenge was all he was. But now with that gone, what was left of him?

"Sasuke."

If given the chance to go back and choose again, would he choose the same fate?

"Sasuke?"

The dark haired male was ripped from the privacy of his thoughts and whipped his head to the person responsible for it. Unintentionally flaring his sharingan to life, he snapped, "What?"

Naruto's easy going smile slightly wavered at Sasuke's raised voice and tightened fists. The blonde regarded him uneasily, worry flickering across his face for a second. Realizing his mistake, Sasuke eased back and let his eyes return to their original color. He looked over at Naruto and muttered a low apology, which the blonde accepted.

Naruto let out a small cough to rid the building tension in the air and brought Sasuke's attention to the clouds traveling closer.

"Uh," he looked to the gloomy masses, "I think a storm's coming."

And as if on cue, the sound of thunder could be heard miles away, rolling through the forest and sending slight vibrations to his feet. The heat enveloping them dissolved into a cool breeze that soothed on contact, and the small droplets of water felt earlier turned into a heavy drizzle of rain.

Naruto pulled himself up from his spot in the clearing and jogged under the safety of the trees. He shook the wetness out from his hair and took a seat at the base, sitting cross-legged with a cheek propped in his palm,"well, it could be worse, huh?"

Sasuke turned his head away and remained silent to the attempt at small talk. His lips pursed together to form a thin line while he stared at the ground. The blonde shinobi glanced over and sheepishly scratched the back of his head at the lack of response.

Naruto scrunched up his face, mentally grasping for straws, and perked up. "Oh! You know what this reminds me of?" he tried again, "whenever it rained, Sakura-chan would invite us over and make tea."

Naruto could almost taste the jasmine leaves crinkling on the tip of his tongue, and he smiled fondly at the image. "I'd tell her that she puts too much honey in it, and she'd always say it was fine," he continued, "Even Sai agrees with me, but I guess it can't be helped since she has such a sweet tooth, you know?"

No response.

Shoulders sagging, his mouth opened and closed before settling on speaking again, but the words failed to extend past his lips, knowing not to waste another breath. Blue irises darted over to steal a glimpse at Sasuke, who wordlessly watched the rainfall with a distant look. The expression on his face was a ghost of the day Naruto found him.

Miles away from Yukigakure, Naruto was certain he had stumbled upon a wrong path, but the steady hum of chakra detected told him otherwise. Willing himself forward, the crunch of snow was audible as he walked to the small shelter and approached the door. Rotting wood groaned under the weight of his footsteps, and his hesitant knocks caused the decaying hut to sway.

Wringing his hands, he anxiously waited in the cold. Faint rustling could be caught from inside, following the sound of shoes shuffling and the twisting of bolts to unlock. He licked his chapped lips and swallowed, reminding himself to stay composed.

The wooden door creaked back and opened to reveal the person residing inside. Physically, Naruto prepared himself for the worst, expecting the fury he had familiarized with to lash out. For the assault of callous words or the onyx eyes to bleed red alongside a harsh shove backward and a metal edge at his throat.

Though rather than a threat upon his life, Naruto was met with silence and shock.

Light flooded into the dim room, and a figure with dark hair and pale skin emerge from the frame, exposing himself to the icy breeze outside. Taken aback, Naruto gawked at his friend, noticing the deep red of dried blood that stained the disheveled clothes worn. Sasuke's face was blank, and his body was still, but his glassy eyes betrayed his impassive state. Speckles of dysphoria were woven across the surface, and a thin color of coal restrained the emotional chaos rushing behind like a dam soon to break. Both men stood facing each other, refusing to break the uneasy quietness between them.

Seconds ticked away as Sasuke studied the whiskered boy at his door with a vacant expression. Minutes passed when he then decided to speak.

"Why," his voice was straightforward, a monotone tenor that was low and dead.

Blue eyes locked with the black ones, "Huh?"

"Why are you here."

"I heard about what happened," Naruto began cautiously, "with Itachi."

Sasuke said nothing and only stared with his mouth set to a grim line.

"And, well, uh," he stammered while shifting his weight. "I also wanted to see if you were okay," Naruto rasped with genuine concern coating each word and hesitated "...are you?"

"Is that all?"

A line appeared between his knitted brows, and he let out a weary chuckle while rubbing the back of his neck, "And I figured I could try to convince you to come back with me."

Sasuke merely blinked, "To come back," he hollowly repeated.

The blonde nodded vigorously and brightened, "Yeah! I kno—"

The door propelled to slam shut, and Naruto reactively managed to wedge his foot into the frame before it could slam into his face. Irritation was growled out from the opposite side of the wood.

"Just hear me out, teme!" he begged, voice directed to the gap, "you left because you wanted to avenge your clan, and you got what you wanted now that Itachi's finally dead. Don't you think it's time to come home?"

Weight pressed against the door, Sasuke's jaw was clenched, "Home?" he retorted, "there's nothing there for me."

"You're wrong," Naruto shook his head. "There's me, there's Kakashi-sensei and Sakura-chan," he placed a hand on the doorknob, "We'll always be there for you."

Flashbacks of his twelve-year-old self crowded his senses and prodded his cold heart. Sasuke's stomach dropped at the mention of his genin team, and he struggled to push away the unwanting feeling of guilt. Why did those words affect him so?

Unaware of the inner turmoil the missing-nin was currently undergoing, Naruto continued, "All of us want you to come back."

Sasuke felt his resolve break at the pure sound of honesty in the leaf shinobi's voice. One brick after another crumbled and fell into a pile of dusty shards from the wall he spent years building. Too exhausted to pick up the broken pieces scattered around, he let them fall and listened to the blonde speaking.

"What do you say? ...You can start over again," waiting, Naruto's ears perked at the soft sound of a breath being exhaled."Teme?" he called out.

Silence wash over for a pause before a voice answered, barely able to be made out.

"Okay."

Unable to believe what he had heard, Naruto jumped in surprise,"Wait, really?"

Weight was lifted from the wooden door, letting it open, and exposed Sasuke to the radiant light outside once again. With eyes shut, the dark haired male pondered on what possessed him to agree. Maybe he was delirious due to the recent lack of care he held for his health. Maybe it was because he was becoming lonely. Or maybe a small part of him wanted to believe in everything Naruto had said.

"I'm agreeing," he cracked open his eyes, squinting as they adjusted to the bright sun, and looked over.

The whiskered boy's face was frozen before splitting into a beaming grin. Naruto turned to the dirt path winding through the trees, placing both arms behind his golden ruffle of hair, and crinkled his eyes.

"Then what are we waiting for?"

During the timespan of their travel, Naruto happily did most, if not all, of the talking. Annoyance usually worked its way to Sasuke as the blonde chirped on about the Hidden Leaf Village, indulging the scowling male in snippets of his daily life with his companions. Whether Naruto was conscious of it or not, his tone would be lighthearted and in a carefree manner suggesting as if Sasuke was there to begin with. But at the rare times when the irritation from his boisterous voice did not come, Sasuke would voluntarily listen, almost grateful for the easy distraction from his thoughts.

Naruto, who was still babbling, would notice out of the corner of his eye and try to hide the smile on his face.

But tonight, with just hours away from home, Sasuke seemed too tense. Too rigid. Too preoccupied with his thoughts. Was he beginning to doubt his decision? Did he even want to come back? Naruto glanced over at him, taking in his stiff posture and dull eyes staring up at the wet sky, and felt his concern heighten. Sensing blue eyes fixed on him, the dark-haired male dragged his attention over to the figure sitting on the ground.

Naruto took the moment to voice his thoughts. "We don't have to come back tonight," his fingers pulled at the grass beneath him, "it's raining anyway so let's set up camp and wait."

"Are you saying for you or me?" he flatly murmured.

"Do you feel ready?" Naruto's features were solemn, displaying the seriousness he uncommonly exhibited, "Because if you're starting to rethink this we can wait."

Sasuke frowned. It had taken them weeks to arrive at the point they were currently at now, and he was very aware of the fact that it could have been much sooner if it wasn't for the slow pace they were traveling at. The eagerness to return was clear in the blonde, but he was stalling, intentionally taking extra routes to draw out the time before they approached Konoha. He knew Naruto did it for Sasuke's sake, and honestly, the sharingan wielder was unsure how to feel about it.

"Hn," Sasuke grunted to himself and crossed his arms.

Unsure, Naruto raised a finger and scrunched his face, "Is that a yes or...?"

A beat of Sasuke's silence passed until he uncrossed his arms and peeled himself away from the tree. Abandoning the cover of the leaves, large raindrops splashed against his skin and settled in his hair. He threw a glance toward Naruto's sitting form and began walking away.

"Hey!" Naruto cried out to him, "where are you going?"

Sasuke shoved his hands into his pockets and continued to walk, turning his head to the side, "Come on, dobe."

Naruto gaped for a moment, and a slow grin etched it's way to his face at the sound of the familiar nickname. Scrambling to his feet, he pulled himself up and jogged to Sasuke's side, easily falling into step.

For the rest of the night, no other words were exchanged between the two. The storm had eventually dimmed into a light sprinkle, and dawn started to wash over the night, filling the sky with a swirling array of pinks, oranges, and reds. With only minutes away, both men trudged lightly in the direction of Konoha.

"Why is Sakura not here?"

Naruto peaked over at Sasuke.

The raven haired male question was unexpected, but since Naruto had knocked on his door, the fact that a certain pink haired teammate was absent pressed him. Naruto's chatter regularly involved the girl but the reason for her no-show was never disclosed. Flashes of a hand around a throat and a strangled gasp reached Sasuke's mind, making him want to blame himself. Did she not wish to come? Had the love she profusely gave finally run dry? It wasn't until now that Sasuke asked out loud.

A guilty expression was splayed on Naruto's face and he sighed, "I didn't tell her."

Sasuke raised a brow, "You left her there?"

"I know, I know," Naruto whined out, clearly upset, "It sounds really bad, but I didn't tell anyone. When I heard the rumors about you, I just left."

"You just left," Sasuke deadpanned. Even he knew that Naruto's actions were recklessly stupid.

He slapped his face and groaned, "I didn't think about it at the time."

It was true. The realization of his mistake did not fully hit him until he was days away from the Leaf Village. With each minute that passed, guilt welled up inside of him little by little. Naruto knew how much Sakura wanted to bring Sasuke home, he knew how much it meant for her to be with Naruto when the time came. What kind of friend was he? What kind of person would do that to someone they considered as their sister? Naruto felt bad. No, he felt terrible, awful. The list went on and on.

"Oh man," he ran a hand down his face, "Sakura-chan is going to be so mad at me."

Sasuke shrugged, unconcerned with Naruto's worry. It wasn't his problem.

"But you'll be back! So maybe she won't be so angry," the blonde hoped while suggestively nudging Sasuke's side, "maybe you can put in a few good words for me?"

"No."

Naruto let out a wail, throwing his hands out then burying his face into his palms.

Sasuke suppressed the urge to sigh at the blonde's overdramatics and disregarded him. Naruto's incomprehensible blubbers shifted into background noise as the feeling that pulled at his chest still made itself present. In a sudden moment of vulnerability and openness, he looked up to the trees and let the words tumble out, "She hates me."

Naruto pushed down the surprise he felt at the fact that it was the first time Sasuke had decided to initiate a conversation with him, especially to be open about his thoughts. He stopped walking and stared at Sasuke, "No she doesn't," Naruto was quick to counter with a bewildered face.

"I tried to _kill_ her."

He rolled his eyes and nonchalantly waved a hand. "You tried to kill me too, remember?" fingers tapped his chin, "several times."

Naruto noticed the dark look on Sasuke's face and bumped his fist against his shoulder, letting go of the humor laced in his tone and replacing it with a more serious one, "But if I can forgive you, so can she."

For her to forgive him so easily? Sasuke scowled and brushed Naruto's hand away, "then she's a bigger fool than I thought."

Naruto only shook his head and resumed walking, "As much as she tried," Sasuke stared at the back of his head, "I don't think she ever stopped loving you, teme."

His stomach was pulled down deeper at the statement, and a single pound remitted from his chest. An almost painful pull could be felt tugging at it, startling yet also angering him in the process. Silence relapsed as he clenched his jaw and replayed those words, each syllable acting like salt being rubbed into his wounds. Sasuke grimaced and willed his feet to walk ahead with his mind only able to think, maybe he was the foolish one.

The outlines of the gates protecting the inner village of Konoha came into view as the two leisurely approached it. A tall figure stood alone at the entrance with an orange book held in front of his face and a hand tucked into his pocket. Tufts of silver hair peaked out from the novel, and Naruto immediately recognized the person.

"Kakashi-sensei!" Naruto bellowed and ecstatically waved a hand.

The dubbed copycat ninja perked his head at the noise and snapped the orange novel shut. "Naruto, Sasuke," he greeted, tilting his chin to each of them, "glad to see you back."

Naruto beamed and Sasuke dipped his head in acknowledgment but did not neglect how only two of the three members of Team 7 were present.

Catching on, Naruto stopped to survey the area, "Where is Sakura-chan?"

"Ah, she's been in Suna for a while," he tucked his book away, "two months if you want to be precise."

"Eh? What is she doing there?"

Sasuke stood some feet away from the two and mutely watched the exchange.

"A mission," he simply replied, "don't worry, I hear Sakura's due to return soon."

Naruto pouted, "Oh."

"Cheer up," He lazily patted the blonde boy's head, "I'm sure she'll be happy to see the both of you when she comes back."

Naruto's dismal expression partially perked upon hearing that, and he nodded. Kakashi then turned his attention to the dark-haired male, "And how have you been, Sasuke?"

The corner of Sasuke's mouth dipped into a half frown.

"Very good," the jounin shinobi commented, crinkling his eyes with a covered smile, "glad to hear."

Sasuke casted the jonin's formalities away and gave him a blank stare, cutting to the chase, "You're here to take us to the Hokage."

"Perceptive as always," the gray-haired shinobi met cool eyes with his amused ones, "but yes, and I suggest we do not keep her waiting." And he gestured for the boys to follow with a turn of his head.

The first glimmers of the sun were streaming through the town and illuminated the streets in morning rays. Greetings were exchanged between the commoners who woke and emerged from their homes, filling the barren village with bustling life. Doors to shops were swung opened, footsteps clattered against the ground, and the day began.

But the frightened stares and whispers among the crowd deemed the setting to be anything but pleasant.

"Who is that?"

"What is _he_ doing here?"

"Traitor… Unstable…Corrupt..."

" _Kill_ him!"

Murmurs buzzed from the civilians parted around the walking men, watching with wide eyes and frightened stares. More comments of outrage cried out, growing more vicious and insulting by the minute. And all directed at Sasuke.

He saw the look of terror in their eyes, the look of pure hatred and repulsion for him. But because he had expected this, prepared for such a hostile reaction, his steps did not falter. Sasuke's fist tightened in anger, but rather than lashing out, they stayed clenched at his side. Teeth gnashed together and chin held high, he continued walking. Naruto stood close to his friend, occasionally sending concerned glances over and telling the spectators off in between. Kakashi, regarding the whole ordeal with a lazy eye and silent tongue, pressed the group forward.

Just when the men were a good distance away, a voice caused them to stop.

"That Itachi bastard should have done the village a favor and finished him off while he was slaughtering that wretched clan!"

The elderly man's waved a finger at Sasuke, meeting his gaze and sneering. But instead of the dark haired male reacting, Naruto was the one to turn back and reciprocate.

"Oi!" the whiskered boy shouted, "why don't you do us a favor and shut u—"

"Naruto."

Sasuke, standing surprisingly calm, stopped him with a hand on his shoulder and uttered in a low voice, "Just let it go."

Naruto opened his mouth to protest at the suggestion, too vexed and riled in wanting to defend his friend, but the shake of the Uchiha's head caused him to bite his tongue. With one last heated look at the civilian, Naruto grunted and returned to his spot.

Kakashi, still quiet, resumed on in leading them to the tower. The mask over his face successfully concealed the way his mouth quirked upward when he sent a final glance over to Sasuke.

The halls of the tower seemed void of anyone except for the lone Anbu standing guard outside of the door separating the men from Hokage. Ignoring Naruto and Sasuke's presence, he gave Kakashi a curt nod.

"Go in," he rapped two knuckles against the door, "Tsunade-sama is expecting you," and pulled it open.

The Anbu waved a hand for them to enter, and the three men shuffled inside. With a head rested in her palm and legs tightly crossed, Tsunade scrutinized Naruto and Sasuke with a harsh gaze as Kakashi positioned himself to the side, casually pulling out his book. The Sannin sharply clicked her nails against the desk in agitation, observing the two boys standing before her.

Beats of tension filled silence passed. Nails continued to tap against wood, and nervous beads of sweat rolled down Naruto's neck while Sasuke stood indifferent. Kakashi contently hummed to himself from the corner of the room as he read and flipped a page.

The Godaime's brown eyes regarded Naruto before settling on Sasuke. A muscle in her jaw twitched and her hand stopped tapping, "You have a lot of nerve to come back."

Naruto stepped forward, coming to Sasuke's aid, "Tsunade-baachan!"

"And you," she turned to Naruto, further peeved from his use of the informal title, "I will deal with you and your incompetence later."

"But—"

"You _will_ stand there and stay _silent_ unless I tell you otherwise."

Sensing her threatening aura, Naruto gulped and uneasily jerked his head in affirmation.

Tsunade disregarded the boy and returned to the impassive Uchiha, "Several people want nothing more than your head on a stake. I'm sure many of them would do anything to kill you right now."

Sasuke pursed his mouth to a grim line, watching as she cleared her throat.

"But luckily for you, I am not one of those people."

Kakashi's uncovered eye wandered from the novel's text to the composed Sasuke, and Naruto stilled with a dazed look, unknowing how to react to the unexpected statement.

"Your ancestry deems you valuable to the village," she said with a wave of her hand, "you've exterminated one of our major threats, Orochimaru, and although you have tried, you did not kill any of my leaf shinobi."

Unable to control himself, Naruto impatiently blurted, jumping from his spot, "So Sasuke's clear?"

Tsunade shook her head, "Despite what I say, it does not excuse the fact that you are a missing-nin." She stood from her seat and stepped away from her desk, coming face to face with the dark haired boy, and asked, "Did you wish to come here?"

Onyx eyes bore through brown ones. Sasuke paused before answering, "Yes." It was curt, clear.

The Godaime gave him a once over and questioned again, "Does it imply that your loyalties lie with Konoha?"

Sasuke slowly breathed in, closed his eyes, and exhaled, "My loyalties are now with Konoha."

Tsunade mused over his words, leaving the room to return to an uncomfortable quietness. The three men continued to stand, awaiting the words she would say. Her hand reached up to rub her forehead, and she sighed.

"I will allow you to stay," she finally revealed, "you will be reissued as a leaf shinobi and reside in the Uchiha compound under strict Anbu watch until further notice." Tsunade pursed her lips together, an action that contradicted the positive news she was proclaiming, and narrowed her eyes, "But if you began to pose as a threat, I will not hesitant to kill you."

"I know," he admitted with a tired voice that cause her to lift a brow.

Tsunade glanced at him and turned to lock eyes Kakashi who was equally surprised. Using this moment, she chose to dismiss the two.

"Now leave," she said, "both of you."

And immediately, Naruto leaped up and began to vomit from his mouth, "Tsunade-baachan! I knew you wouldn't hold out!" he ran over to engulf her into a grand hug, making her loudly groan. He pulled away and beamed, "Man, do I owe you one."

She rolled her eyes and swatted the boy away, "Then get the hell out of my office."

Naruto fisted a hand into the air and looked to Sasuke, pure joy engulfing his face, "C'mon teme, Ichiraku's on me!"

"No."

"You can brood later," Naruto puffed, "let's go!" And he dashed out of the room.

"Idiot," Sasuke muttered at Naruto's childish antics but deliberately followed anyway.

Tsunade raised both brows at male's behavior and turned to the quiet gray-haired shinobi. "What do you think?"

Kakashi's eyes went back to his book, "I think Sasuke's being truthful."

"Really?" she returned to her desk.

His eyes scanned over a sentence."Something about him seems different," he explained, "changed, almost."

Tsunade said nothing as she lowered herself into her seat and stared at the papers strewn across her table. She ignored the documents and Kakashi turned another page in his book.

"Maybe things turned out the way it was meant to be after all."

Silently, Tsunade agreed.

* * *

The male's instincts perked at the presence of a chakra signature steadily approaching the room, causing him to direct his attention away from the window's view and to the door. Feeling the individual hovering at the thin wood, he stepped away from the tall glass and commanded the lurking being.

"Enter."

The door opened, allowing the towering frame of Kisame to set foot into the bare room. Sprawled over his shoulder was a pale, unconscious girl who seemed physically unharmed despite her torn clothes and matted hair. The Mist-nin huffed and dumped her comatose body onto the hardwood floor where she landed in a listless heap on her side. He kneeled on his knees and lowered himself to a bow.

"I have returned Pein-sama."

The orange haired male neared him, placing himself in the center of the inn room, and peered at the pink haired girl then at the blue man. "That was quicker than I had expected," Pein said with roaming eyes, noticing the how the missing-nin bore no injuries, "But I see you have the item you were tasked to obtain."

Kisame pulled himself up to stand and glanced at her still body, "It went much easier than expected."

He nodded in approval, "Then we will begin the healing session tomorrow."

The shark swordsman shifted his weight, "Pein-sama."

Pein rose a brow at the movement and pressed him, "What is it?"

"When I found the leaf shinobi," Kisame started, shifting again, "she was disoriented and could not recognize me." He observed her mangled attired, "She also seemed to have been attacked before I retrieved her."

"Your point, Kisame?" the orange haired male quickly grew bored, unconcerned with the unnecessary information.

"She suffers from amnesia."

The Akatsuki leader pondered to himself. Memory loss? It was unheard of for a shinobi but not quite impossible. His interest was somewhat drawn by the news and he sized her up, "And how did you come to this conclusion?"

The shark-nin's answer was immediate, "When I approached her, the girl disclosed her state about not remembering what happened and easily believed I was an ally."

"Is she still usable?" That was the main concern running through the heavily pierced male.

"She still knows how to use medical-ninjutsu."

Pein hummed to himself and directed both of his rinnegans to Sakura's forehead, noticing the fresh diamond seal residing there. Deep in thought, he used a hand to rub the bottom of his chin, "Anything else?"

"She said she remembers her name," the blue ninja shrugged.

Kisame did not blink when the orange haired male suddenly cackled, shaking the inn's walls with his booming roar. He laughed and disregarded the sleeping girl, "How pointless, a useless information such as a name is remembered of all things."

The shark-nin briefly paused, choosing his words carefully, "Will we continue as we originally thought?"

Pein paused, considering the question, and walked over to Sakura's body. He silently watched the steady rise and fall of her breathing and smirked. "I believe this will benefit our overall objective."

"How so?"

The edges of his lips curved into a full smile, "She will join us."

Kisame held back his frown, "The plan was to use her services while also using her as bait to lure the jinchuuriki," he restated the idea, "we agreed to leave her once the boy was deemed easily attainable."

"The plan has slightly changed," Pein said, "we will still use her abilities, however, I suppose her condition can be of some use to us."

Kisame inclined his head, curious to listen.

"Akatsuki has been in need of new members for quite some time, especially with recent events concerning Itachi," Pein began to stride around the room, "and having a definite healer will provide an advantage for us."

"She will become an official member," Kisame stated more than asked.

He tilted his head in a nod, "Being the Godaime's apprentice, her skills are not questioned. Even one of our own was killed by her hand."

"And her memory loss?"

"Will make her membership much easier," he chuckled, answering, "for what we know, her ties to the Hidden Leaf Village are severed. She knows nothing of the nonsense she was fed."

"You plan to manipulate her," Kisame set his mouth to a hard line.

"A lie or two will not hurt the girl," he replied, "think of it as a relearning method."

"What if she refuses to join?" Kisame proposed.

"She will not."

"But if she does?"

Pein stilled, patience dwindling and voice as thin as ice, "then I will simply do away with her."

Ignoring the growing tension, Kisame opened his mouth again, "And what will you do if she begins to remember?"

Pein sharply turned to Kisame, inches from his face, and uttered in a menacing voice, "Are you opposing me?" he seethed, "Why are you suddenly so concerned with the girl?" A hand reached up to clutch the shark-nin's collar, "Has the downfall of your partner caused you to go soft?"

Kisame narrowed his eyes at the Akatsuki leader, nerved struck by the taunt, but shook his head. "No, Pein-sama."

"Then cease your meaningless interrogation."

"My apologizes, Pein-sama," Kisame gritted out as he forced himself to step back.

Pein heaved out a breath, regaining his composure, and loosened his grip on the blue male. Wordlessly, Kisame watched as he strolled over to Sakura and swiftly formed a vast amount of hand seals. With a small exhale, Pein crouched down to her frame and placed two fingers onto her temple.

Sakura unconsciously frowned and drew her eyebrows in from the contact. The diamond etching on her forehead began to glow, reacting from the jutsu, and a groan passed from her lips. Her seal continued to brightly gleam before being restored to its original flat color once he removed his touch. Sakura instantly relaxed and returned to her sleeping state.

"This should do for now," Pein announced, "It is a simple mind block, but I have altered it to target her instead. Her past memories should not resurface."

Pein straightened and walked away from her unconscious body.

"We are done here, Kisame," he returned to his spot next to the window and fixed his eyes to the scenery outside, "Place the girl in an unoccupied room and notify me when she wakes."

Kisame leered at him but obeyed nonetheless. With a scowl on his face, he plucked the girl from the ground, heaved her onto his back, and left. He was quick to find an empty room and drop her limp body onto the small bed there. The door slammed shut and he strode over to the room that was down the hall. He didn't bother to knock as he roughly twisted the knob and push the door open.

A woman of short blue hair turned to face him, unperturbed at his abrupt appearance. She set the rolls of gauze in her hands down and onto a table littered with various pills and medicinal creme. An incense was lit to mask the musty odor with a faint soothing aroma, and blinds were pulled to cover the windows. The room was encased in a dim darkness that provided just enough light to see.

"Kisame."

He turned his head to the bed, allowing his eyes to linger on the fresh stains of blood tinting the sheets, and grimaced. Kisame walked deeper into the room and stood by the bedpost.

Konan sighed and glanced over her shoulder, "There is only so much I can do."

He grunted and directed the conversation to a different subject, "I left the girl down the hall for you."

She peaked back at the bed and nodded, "Then I will go." Konan moved away to leave, giving Kisame a final glance, and reached to pull the door back. It creaked open, and she strode out.

Kisame felt his expression hardening as he leaned down to the figure lying in the bed. He peered at the bandaged body that could be heard shallowly breathing, gasping with a life barely present yet still there, and let the door behind him softly clicked shut.

And there Kisame stood.

Left alone with none other than Itachi Uchiha.

* * *

 **A/N:** Hello everyone! Thank you for taking the time out of your day to read my story! I really wanted to get a chapter out before school started, and here it is. There may be some slight errors since I was rushing to finish this on time, so I apologize. This is just the start of things, and there's plenty more to come. I hope you enjoyed and feel free to leave a feedback!


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